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Written in 437/1045, Al-Qushayri's Epistle on Sufism has served as a primary textbook for many generations of Sufi novices down to the present. The book gives an illuminating insight into the everyday lives of Sufi devotees of the 8th-11th centuries C.E. and the moral and ethical dilemmas they were facing in trying to strike a delicate balance between their ascetic and mystical convictions and the exigencies of life in a society governed by rank, wealth, and military power. In al-Qushayri's narrative, the Sufi 'friends of God' (awaliya) are depicted as the true, if uncrowned, kings of this world - not those worldly rulers who appear to be lording it over the common herd of believers. Yet, even the most advanced Sufi masters should not take salvation for granted. Miracle-working, no matter how spectacular, cannot guarantee the Sufi a favorite outcome in the afterlife, for it may be but a ruse on the part of God who wants to test the moral integrity of his servant. In Al-Qushayri's Epistle on Sufism, these and many other Sufi motifs are illustrated by the anecdotes and parables that show al-Qushayri's fellow Sufis in a wide variety of contexts: suffering from hunger and thirst in the desert, performing pilgrimage to Mecca, participating in 'spiritual concerts', reciting the Qur'an, waging war against the 'infidel' enemy and their own desires, earning their livelihood, meditating in a retreat, praying, working miracles, interacting with the people of the market-place, their family members and peers, dreaming, and dying.

The Soul of Rumi: A New Collection of Ecstatic Poems

Manufacturer: HarperOne

The Soul of Rumi is renowned poet Coleman Barks' first major assemblage of newly translated Rumi poems since his bestselling The Essential Rumi.Coleman Barks presents entirely new translations of Rumi's poems, published for the first time in The Soul of Rumi. The poems range over the breadth of Rumi's themes: silence, emptiness, play, God, peace, grief, sexuality, music, to name just a few. But the focus is on the ecstatic experience of human and divine love and their inseparability, conveyed with Rumi's signature passion, daring, and insights into the human heart and the heart's longings. When Rumi was born in Afghanistan in 1207, it was a time of tremendous political turmoil in the Near East. Paradoxically, it was also a time of "brilliant mystical awareness," writes translator Coleman Barks in The Soul of Rumi. This brilliance shines through in every passage, as Barks celebrates the ecstatic nature of Rumi's poetry. Barks (The Essential Rumi) has been given much credit for leading modern Westerners to...

Essential Sufism

Manufacturer: HarperOne
Brand: HarperOne

The definitive compendium of Sufi wisdom, 'Essential Sufism' draws together more than three hundred fables, poems and prayers that reveal the luminous spirit of Islamic mysticism. Embracing all eras and highlighting the many faces of Sufism, this colle Sufis are celebrated in the West for their joy, humor, and devoted worship. Two students of Sufism, James Fadiman and Robert Frager, have collected some of the jewels of Sufic literature, polished them up a bit, and organized them for ready contemplation. Rumi's poems, Attar's stories, Mohammed's terse sayings, and even some moving pieces from contemporary Western devotees make Essential Sufism a treasury of Sufic literature. The extensive introduction provides practical context, and preambles to each section set the tone for what's to come. If you haven't encountered the wisdom of Sufi mysticism, the material in this book is a good place to start; if you have, it's a comfortable place for return.

Daughter of Fire: A Diary of a Spiritual Training with a Sufi Master

Manufacturer: The Golden Sufi Center

Tweedie documents her five-year process of purification and inner work with the heart in the "Naqshbandi" or "Golden Sufi" tradition: the daily doubts, agonies, discomforts, culture shocks, terrors, bodily states, uncertainties, and ecstasies along the path to truth.

Alone with the Alone

"Henry Corbin's works are the best guide to the visionary tradition.... Corbin, like Scholem and Jonas, is remembered as a scholar of genius. He was uniquely equipped not only to recover Iranian Sufism for the West, but also to defend the principal Western traditions of esoteric spirituality."--From the introduction by Harold Bloom Ibn 'Arabi (1165-1240) was one of the great mystics of all time. Through the richness of his personal experience and the constructive power of his intellect, he made a unique contribution to Shi'ite Sufism. In this book, which features a powerful new preface by Harold Bloom, Henry Corbin brings us to the very core of this movement with a penetrating analysis of Ibn 'Arabi's life and doctrines. Corbin begins with a kind of spiritual topography of the twelfth century, emphasizing the differences between exoteric and esoteric forms of Islam. He also relates Islamic mysticism to mystical thought in the West. The remainder of the book is devoted to two complementary essays: on "Sympathy...

The Essential Rumi

Manufacturer: Castle Books
Brand: Brand: Castle Books

Previously published as The Essential Rumi, Rumi's Selected Poems is translated by Coleman Barks with John Moyne in Penguin Classics. Thirteenth-century Persian philosopher, mystic, scholar and founder of the order of the Whirling Dervishes, Jelaluddin Rumi was also a poet of transcendental power. His inspirational verse speaks with the universal voice of the human soul and brims with exuberant energy and passion. Rich in natural imagery from horses to fishes, flowers to birds and rivers to stars, the poems have an elemental force that has remained undiminished through the centuries. Their themes - tolerance, goodness, the experience of God, charity and awareness through love - still resonate with millions of readers around the world. Coleman Barks's vibrant translation conveys the directness and originality of Rumi's poetry. This edition is divided into thematic sections, each with an introduction, and includes a biographical essay on Rumi. Called 'Jelaluddin Rumi' by the Persians and Afghans, Rumi (1207-...

The Illuminated Prayer: The Five-Times Prayer of the Sufis

Manufacturer: Ballantine Books

The Prayer is a drawing of the curtain, an invitation to a secret place that is discovered and explored. . . .According to tradition and the testimony of Sufi mystics, The Prayer--or Salat--was first taught by the angels, who themselves practiced it in celestial adoration. The Prayer is God's gift to all humankind, and in this gorgeously illustrated volume, its simple, archetypal practice unfolds like a fragrant, many-petaled flower, joining words and movements into a single luminous event that engages our entire being.These ancient rituals are presented here as a gift for anyone with a heartfelt desire to set aside for a moment the concerns of every day and enter a sacred time and space in which to explore the beckonings of the spirit. The authors take us through the words, movements, and hidden meanings of the Call to Prayer, the Ablutions, The Prayer itself, and the Peaceful Embrace afterwards. Faithful practice lends a sacred rhythm to each day and creates a psychological force that helps us nurture and e...

Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship

In this book readers are led on a powerful and inspiring journey through the inner dimensions of a range of Islamic acts, including prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and pilgrimage.Consisting of a selection of writings by a great figure in Islamic history, Imam al-Ghazali, this book helps readers realize the benefits of the upliftment of their spiritual, social, and moral qualities.Al-Ghazali (1058â€“1111), a towering figure in Islam, was born at Tus, near Mashhad in Iran, in the early Seljuq era. He wrote a large number of works, of which his magnum opus was the Ihya' Ulum al-Din compiled during his period of retirement and contemplation.

The Book of Assistance

Manufacturer: Fons Vitae
Brand: Brand: Fons Vitae

There are many books in English that present Sufi doctrine, but few that can be used as practical travel guides along the Path. Originally written in classical Arabic, this volume is in widespread use among Sufi teachers in Arabia, Indonesia, and East Africa; its devotions, prayers, and practical ethics are invaluable as a guide along the Sufi Way.